ceiling which tends to be popular. people -- you know, the american public, they hear debt ceiling and they think no, let's not do that. that sounds awful to give government more money to spend. he's trying to turn it around. but it absolutely is a dynamic that he exemplploited when he w senator. >> robert costa, let's look at this for a minute. republicans have a tricky situation. because the country does not want us to default. and this whole business of managing accounts and prioritizing, there's 80 million payment accounts. i know the interest on the debt will be paid, but to some extent the gop has got to watch itself, robert. they could come really at the wrong end of a massive public relations blunder. >> that's exactly right, larry. the president's press conference today really was first battle in this public relations war. what matters is that the president is out there for an hour, making his case to the american people. what the republicans need to do a better job is making their case. now, it's easy to poin